Map applications are a popular type of application, with a variety of uses. For example, a user may use a map application to determine directions, or may use a map application to determine restaurants, banks, drugstores, and other entities near a current location. Map applications are commonly integrated into smartphones, tablets, and vehicle navigation systems, and may be accessed by any computing device though the Internet.
One popular use for map applications is to plan for future trips. For example, a user may use a map application to get directions for a trip they are planning to take next month, or a user may use a map application to look for hotels that are near a city that they are visiting in a few weeks.
Map applications typically consider current traffic conditions when generating directions. For future trips, the map applications are limited to considering historical traffic information when generating directions. For example, a map application may generate directions that avoid areas that are known to be congested during rush hour.
However, map applications do not currently consider traffic or other conditions that may be caused by scheduled events when generating directions or travel recommendations. Scheduled events may be future events such as concerts, festivals, sporting events, parades, protests, etc. These events often cause traffic conditions in their immediate area, but because they occur infrequently, or occur according to an irregular schedule, they may not be reflected in the historical traffic information. As a result, a user may be provided a poor travel experience.